Last updated: June 1, 2025 | Version 1.0
1. Purpose & Scope
This Litigation & Professional Ethics Policy applies to all advocates, lawyers, legal interns, and law students registered on Codingfigs who receive litigation-related enquiries, collaboration invitations, or engage in any legal work facilitated through the platform. It supplements the Professional Conduct Guidelines and must be read alongside the Bar Council of India Rules.
2. Paramount Duty to the Court
Every advocate and lawyer who accepts a matter through this platform acknowledges that:
- Their paramount duty is to the court and to the administration of justice, above all other obligations.
- They must not knowingly make false statements of fact or law to any court, tribunal, or authority.
- They must not suppress material facts or mislead the court, even if instructed to do so by the client.
- They must not file vexatious, frivolous, or abuse-of-process applications.
3. Duty to the Client
- Advocates and lawyers must act in the best interests of their client at all times, subject to their overriding duty to the court.
- They must advise the client honestly about the merits and likely outcomes of their matter.
- They must not accept a brief if they have a conflict of interest with the client or any other party in the matter.
- They must not disclose confidential client communications to any third party, including Codingfigs, without the client's explicit consent.
- They must not acquire any proprietary interest in the subject matter of the litigation.
4. Prohibition on Touting & Solicitation
In strict compliance with the Bar Council of India Rules (Part VI, Chapter II):
- Advocates must not solicit work or advertise their services directly or through any agent or intermediary.
- Accepting a collaboration invitation or enquiry forwarded by Codingfigs does not constitute solicitation, as the initial contact originates from the client, not the advocate.
- Advocates must not pay any fee, commission, or benefit to Codingfigs or any person in exchange for client referrals. Codingfigs does not accept or charge referral fees from advocates.
- Advocates must not share fee income with non-advocates or non-legal entities, including LPO providers, in violation of Bar Council rules.
5. Fee Transparency
- Advocates and lawyers must disclose their professional fees clearly and honestly to clients before accepting a brief.
- Fee arrangements must comply with the applicable Bar Council rules and not be contingent on the outcome of litigation (no contingency fee agreements that violate BCI Rules).
- Any fee disputes between advocates and clients are solely between those parties. Codingfigs is not a party to any fee arrangement.
6. Confidentiality & Privilege
- All communications between an advocate and their client in the course of professional engagement are protected by legal professional privilege under Indian evidence law.
- Advocates must not use the Codingfigs platform to share, store, or transmit privileged client communications.
- Service enquiry details forwarded by Codingfigs to an advocate are provided for the purpose of evaluating whether to accept the matter and must be treated as confidential at all times.
- If an advocate declines or is unable to accept a matter, they must delete or destroy any forwarded enquiry information and must not use it for any other purpose.
7. Conflict of Interest
- Before accepting any matter through the platform, advocates and lawyers must conduct a conflict check against their existing and former clients.
- If a conflict exists or arises during the matter, the advocate must immediately disclose it to the client and, if necessary, withdraw from the matter.
- Codingfigs is not responsible for conflict checks — this obligation rests solely with the individual professional.
8. Conduct in Proceedings
- Advocates must conduct all proceedings with dignity, fairness, and courtesy towards the court, opposing counsel, witnesses, and parties.
- Advocates must not attempt to influence judges, tribunal members, or witnesses through improper means.
- Advocates must comply with all applicable court rules, filing deadlines, and procedural requirements.
- Advocates must not engage in unnecessary delay, adjournment, or dilatory tactics that prejudice the administration of justice.
9. Limitation Periods — Advocate's Responsibility
It is the sole and non-delegable professional duty of each advocate and lawyer to:
- Identify and diarise all applicable limitation periods under the Limitation Act, 1963 for every matter they handle.
- Advise clients on limitation deadlines and the consequences of missing them.
- File all proceedings within the applicable limitation period. Key periods under the Limitation Act, 1963 include:
- 3 years — general limitation for suits relating to contracts and civil wrongs.
- 3 years — suits for recovery of money.
- 12 years — suits relating to immovable property.
- 30 days — filing of appeals from decree (civil) before District Court.
- 90 days — filing of appeals before High Courts (civil).
- Special limitation periods apply under specific statutes (Consumer Protection Act, MSME Act, Motor Vehicles Act, etc.) and must be independently verified.
- Codingfigs's research and documentation support does not relieve an advocate of their responsibility to independently verify applicable limitation periods.
10. Withdrawal from a Matter
- Advocates may withdraw from a matter only in accordance with Bar Council rules and applicable court rules.
- Advocates must give reasonable notice to the client before withdrawal wherever possible.
- Advocates must return all client documents and any unearned fees upon withdrawal.
11. Reporting & Enforcement
Violations of this policy must be reported to conduct@codingfigs.com. Serious violations will be referred to the relevant State Bar Council. Codingfigs reserves the right to remove any professional from the platform for breach of this policy.